A/N: Holy crap I'm alive. I know, I know, big shocker. Originally, I was going to only use the plot that is still on my dead laptop. But then I thought, hey, my writing is sooo much better now, so let's make a new plot! So I turned on the radio and wrote a prologue for the third story.
Sadly, I was not actually going to write this story. But because I kept getting messages and reviews from readers, I have dug deep into my memory and pulled this out. I did my research, reread my stories, and watched all the episodes again to (hopefully) make this story enjoyable. If you have randomly come across this story, I highly recommend reading the first two you can find off my profile. (Edit: Because I decided to save you guys a lot of time and the horrors of reading my writing from two or three years ago, I have added a summary of the first two stories under the Disclaimer.) They are not super awesome, but I promise my writing style gets better.
Yes, I know this chapter is kind of short. But prologues and first chapters are always the hardest to write. And, since I'm using a computer I have much better access to then the dead laptop, I can update more often. Of course, that requires reviews. XD
So, for the first time in a while...
Disclaimer: I own nothing. So no suing.
Quick Summary: In the first book, Tianna was introduced in LYOKO. She quickly found her way to Earth but did not quite get along with the LYOKO warriors. Eventually, they figured out who she was, and slowly friendship was formed. A relationship also developed with Odd and Tianna. Through some miscommunication, Tianna grows angry at Odd and turns herself in to X.A.N.A.. When Odd finally learns what really happened, he attempts to apologize to her. Confused, she does not know quite what to do and ends up severely weakening X.A.N.A. and sends William back to Earth.
In the second book, Tianna appears again during a party at Kadic. She quickly discovers Odd has moved on with Sam, and gets quite upset. While using William to wreck havoc and jealousy, she attempts to help the warriors bring back Franz Hopper. He has been in contact with her, and is using her to help bring himself back and destroy X.A.N.A. What the warriors do not know, and quickly find out, is that X.A.N.A. still has a hold on her via a virus he has infected her with. The pain it creates, in addition to her issues with Sam and her jealously over Odd, drives her to the brink of insanity. After several failed attempts, X.A.N.A. launches a rather well planned attack on the warriors and Tianna becomes possessed. After a battle for control, she wins, and her and Odd have a rather interesting talk about their relationship. Things seem to be going peachy, until X.A.N.A. captures Tianna again. He offers to take away her virus in exchange for her devotion, and he throws in giving back Franz Hopper to sweeten the deal. Tianna agrees, thinking she's helping the others, but instead gets infected with a different virus. Franz Hopper is rematerialized, but she is now back under X.A.N.A.'s clutches.
Log 730: It's officially been two years since I handed myself back over to X.A.N.A.. Two long years, especially when I'm trapped in LYOKO and the only sense of time I have is the digital clock on the bottom of this monitor. There's not even target practice with the monsters, since X.A.N.A. stripped me of my powers. All that reprogramming, and all I have is a new genetic code and that stupid virus. Stupid, stupid virus…it keeps me trapped here in this tower. I can't even visit the sector I'm trapped in, which I think is the ice sector. But who knows, I can't even access that data off this computer. X.A.N.A. believes that the more information I have about where I am could be dangerous, in case I decided I wanted to escape. He lets me look into the real world, but it's disconcerting to know where things are there and not here. I do, now, know this tower better than anything else in my digital life. X.A.N.A. keeps me here to work on his various programs, all the ones that I typically keep logged here. With the exception of this entry, I've never recorded something personal out of fear that X.A.N.A. would use it against me. But it seems he does not keep that much of an eye on me as long as I get the work done – his lack of emotions would probably keep him from understanding these ramblings anyways. Thank whatever forces may actually consider me an individual, whether it's a god or some other supernatural power, because I really need someone to talk to. Here goes.
For a while I thought I could do this, walk away from my fake life on Earth and follow my true calling as a harbinger of destruction. Noting in my life ever goes as planned, though, and within the first few weeks I began to miss everything. I missed eating, breathing, feeling, heck, even sleeping. That deep slumber was wonderful, a world of darkness that was not uncomfortable. In sleep, there was such a peaceful warmth that does not exist in LYOKO. No, this digital world is devoid of all the senses, minus seeing and hearing. I think that if I could feel anything here, it would be coldness and emptiness – but why would I want to feel more of that when I already feel that inside? Senses are, unfortunately, not the only aspect of living I miss. Those friends of mine, even if sometimes we weren't friends…they invade my thoughts constantly. Originally I thought they would be better off without me, especially when I gave them William and Franz back, but I was wrong. At least, I was wrong when I thought I too would be better off without them. It hurts, somehow, in this world of nothingness, to know that I betrayed them when they tried so hard to accept me. Ultimately, I think I knew I would betray them like this, but the annoyance and occasional hatred for them pales against the feeling of camaraderie I had buried and hidden away.
When I think about Earth, though, there is typically one part of it that dominates my mind. Yes, I miss everything I just logged, but there is, specifically, one person I truly miss: that blonde, idiotic, scrawny friend of mine, Odd. I call him a friend, but sometimes I think we were more than that. Of course, I know he doesn't think of me like that anymore. As I found out on my last excursion to Earth, Odd has Sam. And while I disapprove of that girl, I don't exactly have the odds in my favor. Sam is human, real, with a legitimate past. She isn't a computer program that struggles with picking a side, fights against destiny, and doesn't even know how to act human. Odd could be happy with her, and I have begrudgingly come to terms with that. No, that's a lie. Even in my current state, I want to go back to Odd. But from my watching – okay, perhaps it's more of stalking – Odd is happy with her. And I want him to be happy.
Yes, I do know that from my stalking. I personally wouldn't consider it stalking, but by textbook definition, it is what I have been doing. Still do, actually, and I'm not afraid to admit that. X.A.N.A. hasn't attacked them since he took me back, and I started to get curious about what they were up to. Deep down, it makes me feel like I am still there, with them, but I try to ignore that. Yumi and William are in their freshmen year of college now, at the University of Bordeaux. Everyone else, Odd, Ulrich, Jeremy, Aelita, and Sam, are in their senior year at Kadic. They all still keep in touch, but I feel bad for Ulrich. He and Yumi always had a thing for each other, and the distance thing is just not working for them. Not that I know anything about real relationships, but it seems Yumi needs constant attention from Ulrich. That simply is not possible, and I found out that she is cheating on him with William. It makes me rather sad to see the two of them fall apart. Jeremy and Aelita seem to be the only couple that don't have problems, to be completely honest. Their personalities are similar, in that way that allows them to get along amazingly instead of being mortal enemies. Between their love of computers and their determination to find and destroy X.A.N.A., those two make a great team…one that could potentially be dangerous to myself and the evil computer. I don't even want to think about what would happen if they caused enough trouble.
Odd and Sam, by far, have an even more dysfunctional relationship than Yumi and Ulrich. Those two are fighting constantly, and their dating status changes more often than the weather does. I truly wonder if Odd is happy with her, but every time I see them together and they're not fighting, I realize he is. He has persevered through all that despite everything for her, and I can see the devotion he has. Still, if X.A.N.A. ever lets me out of this tower, I couldn't make any promises to not attempt to break them up.
I suppose the last person I've been watching is Franz Hopper. His existence on Earth is still hidden – he lives in that old house near the school without anyone bothering him. Most of his time, he's tinkering with LYOKO, or, at least what I allow him to access. What saddens me is that he is still trying to find me amidst all the complicated files that are my prison world. Even Jeremy helps, while they also try to discover what X.A.N.A. is up to. It seems they don't want to shut down LYOKO until they can free me…if only that was possible. X.A.N.A. will never free me. Even if I am allowed to be materialized on Earth, I won't be able to escape him.
–
A lone tower sat in the middle of the blue and white ice sector, the only tower that glowed in the now dim world of LYOKO. It was as if someone had flicked off the lights in the world, and all the "creatures" that made LYOKO their home and protected their owner had gone into hibernation. From this single tower emitted an electric bluish light, with arcs of lightning dancing across its surface. Inside of it sat the lone inhabitant of the digital world, working rather quickly and efficiently on the console in front of her. No longer did she resemble what she once was, however.
Her thoughts stopped abruptly as she turned off the camera she had hacked. Seeing what had become of her and LYOKO only made her depressed. The feeling made her frown as she slid several windows across her screen and pulled up her assigned work. X.A.N.A. wanted her to work on his programs of taking over the world, but first that involved controlling the internet. So while she was stuck in her tower, he was off rampaging in the internet and sending her information to help her with the program. Unfortunately, she thought, he's found so much more.
The internet was polluted, corrupted with information that was abnormal. X.A.N.A. had used whatever perverse information he had come across to recreate her, his explanation being that when he trusted her enough, she would need the new genetic codes to "help" her. Mostly, she believed he had simply been corrupted by the internet. No regular virus/entity would get distracted enough to recode her genes when he ultimately wanted to take over the world. X.A.N.A. never ceased to amaze her. He had outdone himself, blending so many pictures from the internet into one person that he now planned to use in some way for his world domination and eradication scheme.
Almost every part of her had changed, even her skills. She was not quite sure what skills, but she knew she was missing some knowledge. Her looks were easier to know – once tan skin was now paler, and her hair had reverted to a shiny black. Even her eyes held a twinkling, silver color now. Along with looks, her body had changed too. X.A.N.A. let her age, so that if she was on Earth she could pass as seventeen, or eighteen. Oh how the years have changed me.
"Tianna…" a voice, raspy and low, whispered.
She sighed softly. X.A.N.A. no longer used a conventional way to contact her, such as through a computer screen. No, he had gained an ominous, slightly theatrical side that had a flair for the dramatic.
"You have wished to leave this wonderful world of mine," the voice continued, its words making Tianna's eyebrows raise.
"My master," she murmured, disgusted at her groveling, "I do what you command."
"I find myself in need of another reliable minion," X.A.N.A. said.
His words shocked her. Another minion, as if she was not enough to complete his work was insulting. Deep down, she also knew she did not want to subject someone else to her lifestyle. "What…do you need me to do?"
"Why, my dearest creation, I need you to find someone and train them." She could almost see the sardonic smile the virus would have if he could. "I need you to travel to Earth. Perhaps find someone that will rouse the old warriors…"
"With all due respect, I do not think that is a wise idea." Tianna shuddered. She could daydream about them and wish all she wanted, but she was not ready to face them yet.
"I must see loyalty in you." His voice went from sardonic to threatening. "Unless you wish to stay locked up here, though I know you must miss that whole other world…the one that shall soon be destroyed and remade."
With teeth clenched, she ground out, "I bow to your greater wisdom, my master."
"Good…prepare to leave soon, Tianna. I will not tolerate your customary sluggishness."
His presence disappeared, leaving her shaking at her console. Only days ago I complained about my life here, she thought, touching the screen. What have I done?
I really hope you enjoyed the prologue! Please take the time to review, it reminds me that people are actually reading my stuff. :)
Also. I know I suck at dialogue...I'm working on it! I promise! I'm only good at description. /cry -.-'